One Summer

One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson, 509 pages

Babe Ruth. Charles Lindbergh. Sacco and Vanzetti. Calvin Coolidge. Al Capone. Herbert Hoover. Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. These were the big names in the summer of 1927, and in One Summer, Bryson offers up a fascinating in-depth look at that momentous summer:

• It's the summer that Charles Lindbergh flew solo from New York to Paris. 
• It's the summer that, against all expectations, an aging Babe Ruth broke his own record to hit 60 home runs in a single season (and led the best-roster-ever Yankees to a World Series win). 
• Calvin Coolidge spent most of the summer in South Dakota, fishing and making the decision to not run for re-election, though he did briefly hop into some ceremonial work to mark the groundbreaking of Mount Rushmore. 
• Herbert Hoover also spent a lot of time in the Midwest that summer, helping the region recover from a monumental flood of the Mississippi River. 
• Alleged murderers Sacco and Vanzetti were executed, despite shaky evidence and worldwide calls for clemency. 
• The Jazz Singer was released as the first talking picture, while radio was reaching its peak of popularity.
• Television was invented, and demonstrated in public for the first time.
• An aging Jack Dempsey fought Gene Tunney in the biggest boxing match to that point, 
• And Al Capone celebrated the last of his heydays before being arrested the following year.

Any one of these could be (and often has been) fodder for a book on its own, but here Bryson looks at all of them, and more, in the context of the national and international culture. It's an astounding collection of stories, brilliantly woven together with bits of Bryson's trademark humor. Highly recommended for history buffs.

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan: a graphic biography by Andrew Helfer 103 pp.

I only picked this up because I enjoyed the other graphic biographies in this series. This one was almost as good as the ones by Rick Geary. It is a pretty accurate accounting of Reagan and his politics, his rabid anti-communism, using 'sound bites' to his advantage, his manipulation of facts, and his foibles. I was confused by the depictions of Reagan's first wife, Jane Wyman, as a blonde but on investigation I discovered that she frequently had blonde hair in her younger days. This book shows how Reagan was a much better actor while in office than he ever was in the movies.

The Hawk and the Dove

The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan and the history of the Cold War/Nicholas Thompson 401 pg.

I do love the cold war stuff and this book is a great overview of how it all started and how it all continued for so long. The 2 main subjects, Nitze and Kennan are an interesting study of opposites who maintained a long friendship and intense respect for each other despite their opposing viewpoints (note to all modern day pols...maybe you can read this book and see how that is possible). There are some stories of the personal lives of the subjects but more about the times they lived in. Also a good reminder that behind the presidents and political appointees are people who actually WORK on issues and are often around much longer. - Christa

The annotated U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence

The annotated U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence/ Jack N. Rakove (ed) 354 pg.

It is the annotated part of this that made it pretty great. I enjoyed the stories about how certain parts came about and what they mean. I have read these documents before but having the narrative was much better. - Christa

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, 448 pgs., Politics.
A behind-the-scenes, almost gossipy, look at the 2008 presidential election. It's a relatively quick, fun read and it is pretty evenhanded. It does frame the narrative showing how Obama prevailed on his merits and how McCain / Palin imploded, due in part, to their miscalculations and mistakes, so it may not be everyone's cup of tea.